Clasp for eyeglasses.



QPATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

G. LOWRES.

CLASP FOR EYEGLASSES. APPLIGATION FILED APR. 10. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR u wmms,

WITNESSES:

9 m gm- E4- ATTORNEYS;

Patented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE LQVRES, OF NEWARK, NEWV JERSEY.

CLASP FOR EYEGLASSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,943, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed April 10, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LOWRES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps for Eyeglasses, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to facilitate the work of assembling in eyeglasses the nose-pieces, ear-wires, springs, &c.; to prevent or reduce the danger of the lens or glasses being broken in such assembling operations; to reduce the cost of construction; provide greater strength and durability, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved clasp for eyeglasses and spectacles, &c. and in the arrangements and combinations of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate cor responding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an eyeglass embracing my improved clasp. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the said clasp. Fig. 3 is a front view, and Fig. 4.- is a sidev view, thereof. Fig. 5 is a plan of the blank from which the said clasp is constructed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a modification of construction. Fig. 7 is a front View of said modified construction. Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 00 of Fig. 9, and Fig. 9 is a View showing the modified form of construction assembled in connection with the lens, spring, and nose-piece. Fig. 10 is another view showing a further slight modification. Fig. 11 is a perspective View showing the invention as applied to an end piece'of spectacles, and Fig. 12 is a front view of the same, showing the clasp in connection with the lens. Fig.

Serial No. 102,171. (No model.)

13 is a section taken on line y of Fig. 12, and Fig. 14. is a plan of the blank from which the last-referred-to construction is formed.

In said drawings, a a indicate the glasses or lenses; 1), the spring arched to span the nose and serving as a connection for said lenses. 0 c are the nose-pieces, and (1 cl are the clasps or connections by which said parts are held in operative relation one with another and in which my improvements more particularly inhere.

In carrying out my invention in its preferred form I first strike up from sheet metal by means of dies a blank in which are intogrally united the following elements, which I will describe in the order shown in Fig. 5: First, a plate or arm 6 is adapted to lie against the inner side of the lens, the said plate being perforated, as at f, to receive the screw 10, by which the said clasp is fastened to the lens. The said arm e extends from the hole f toward the edge of the lens, where it is provided with laterally-projecting curvilinear guards or stays g g, which conform more or less closely to the curved end edge of the glass or lens a, and thus when the said lens is fitted to the clasp any lateral play or looseness is prevented. Next in order in the blank and completed clasp-and starting at a point between the inner ends of said guards g g is an extension h, lying in the plane of the arm 6. The said extension h projects to a point about an eighth of an inch, more or less, from the guards Q where the said extension is bent, as at t', Figs. 5 and 6, at right angles to form a seat j for the spring I), the said seat being perforated, as at It, to receive the screw Z, which holds the nose-piece and spring thereto. At the opposite side of the seat j from the arm h the said extension is again bent, as at m, to form a second or return extension 'n, adapted to lie on the opposite side of the lens from that against which the arm 6 bears, and which return extension is enlarged at its extremity, as at 0, and is perforated, as at 19, the perforation plying in line with the perforation f to receive the lens-fastening screw to.

I prefer to form above the seatj an integral clip q, having short arms 1" 7', adapted to lie against the opposite sides of the spring and nose-piece to prevent the same from turning upon. the screw Z. While I prefer the integral construction shown, I may form the clip independent of the other parts last described, as indicated in Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, in which case the said clip consists of a separate piece bent up to form the ears or projections for engaging the edges of the spring and nose-piece, the clip being furnished with a projection s eccentric to the screw Z and adapted to enter a corresponding recess in the clasp to prevent pivotal movement of the parts, as in Fig. 6, or the said clasp may be provided with said projection, as shown in Fig. 10, adapted to enter a corresponding recess in the clip.

While the use of a separate clip somewhat improves the appearance of the device and is therefore of advantage, it adds a little to the expense of the construction, and for that reason I may employ either of the varieties referred to; but for the purposes of this case and because of the durability and less liability of loss in assembling the parts I prefer to claim herein the integral construction first described.

In applying my invention to end pieces for the ear-wires of spectacles, as indicated in Figs. l1, 12, 13, 14, I form at the bend i at" the junction of the extension h and seat 3' a loop or eye 1, which is slitted, as at t, to re ceive the ear-wires u, the loop forming a receptacle for the hinge pin or screw Q), by which the parts are pivotally fastened together. The seat j in the last construction serves as a stop for limiting the pivotal movement of the earwire.

It may be noted that the parallel parts 72 71 extend a considerable distance away from or beyond the curved edge of the lens, so that considerable space is formed between the seat j and the said lens edge. I therefore secure greater scope'of spring movement of the parts 'n 6, whereby I am enabled to interpose between said parts a greater variety of thicknesses of lenses without any danger of injury or breakage, because of a squeezing on the edge of the glass when the metal is bowed closely around the edge of the lenses.

The metal parts are struck up by means of dies in blank form and then by other dies shaped as illustrated and described and polished by any usual means. They are then assembled and completed without the expenditure of labor involved in soldering or other hand operations. The parts thus finished are then simply screwed to the lens by means of the screws Z w.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The improved clasp herein described, comprising an ear, guards extending from said ear to engage the edge of the lens, an extension of said ear projecting in the line thereof from or beyond said guards, a seat extending from said extension in adirection approximately parallel with said guards and lying a distance therefrom and a return extension projecting from said seat in a line parallel with the line of the ear and the extension of said ear, the said ear and return extension being perforated to receive the lens-screw, substantially as set forth.

2. The clasp comprising an ear to engage one side of the lens, guards extending from said ear to engage the edge of the lens, an extension of said ear projecting from said ear beyond the line of the guards, a seat extending from the outer extremity of the extension of said ear and projecting in a direction approximately parallel with the plane of the guards, distant therefrom, said seat being provided with ears to receive the nose-spring and nose-pieces, and a return extension from said seat which last extension lies parallel with the ear and extension of said ear to engage the other side of the lens, substantially as set forth.

3. The clasp comprising an ear to engage one side of the lens, guards extending oppositely from said ears and lying at right angles to the plane of the ears to engage the edge of the lens, an extension of said ear in line therewith and projecting therefrom beyond the line of opposite extension of said guards, a seat extending from the outer extremity of said extension and projecting in a direction at right angles thereto and approximately parallel with said guards at points away therefrom, said seat having ears extending in a direction parallel with the first said ear to receive the nose spring and pieces between, and a return extension from said seat extending parallel with the first said ear and its extension, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of March, 1902.

GEORGE LOWRES.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, O. B. PITNEY. 

